1. Field of the Technology
The present application relates generally to mobile communication devices and the communication of electronic mail (“e-mail”) using such devices
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic mail (“e-mail”) has become pervasive and increasingly important for communication in the modern-day world. Today, even mobile communication devices have the ability to send and receive e-mail messages through wireless communication networks. For example, mobile devices and networks operating in accordance with Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) often have the ability to send and receive e-mail and Internet data. The packet data service provided by GPRS makes this possible.
An end user's e-mail messages are typically sent and received through a private host computer which is synchronized with the mobile device through the wireless network. With use of a visual display, the mobile device typically provides an e-mail graphical user interface (GUI) for the entering/reading of e-mail messages. This e-mail GUI provides separate data fields, such as a message recipient field (i.e. a “TO” field), a message sender field (i.e. a “FROM” field), a carbon copy field (i.e. a “CC” field), a message subject field (i.e. a “SUBJECT” field), and a message body field, for the ease of entering/reading e-mail information.
Without GPRS, a GSM network cannot provide for the communication of e-mail messages in a conventional manner. Put another way, when an otherwise e-mail-capable mobile device utilizes a GSM network that does not make GPRS available, the mobile device cannot send or receive e-mail messages. However, GSM is capable of providing for the communication of “short” text messages which are known as “short message service” (SMS) messages. Unlike e-mail, SMS messaging does not involve the use of e-mail-like data fields but rather only a single message field for the entering/reading of the text message.
Beneficially, SMS can also be used for delivering e-mail messages. If activated by the end user, an SMS-to-Email service provided by an SMS-to-Email gateway automatically converts a specified SMS message into an e-mail message for delivery to an intended recipient. The e-mail sender is required to populate the text message field of the SMS message with separate items of “e-mail” information, such as the message recipient, the message subject, and the message body. However, the SMS-to-Email gateway requires that these separate items be formatted in a particular order and/or with specific codes.
One SMS-to-Email service, for example, requires that the information be entered into the SMS message field in accordance with the following predetermined format:EMAIL user@domain.subject.messagewhere “EMAIL” is the actual word “EMAIL”, “user@domain” is the e-mail address of the intended message recipient, “subject” is the e-mail message subject, and “message” is the e-mail message body. As apparent, such special formatting is not user-friendly and may be forgotten by the end user. Even if the SMS-to-Email formatting were user-friendly and easy to remember, the mobile device undesirably provides two different user interfaces for delivering e-mail messages which depends on the availability of the packet data network.
Accordingly, it is desirable to facilitate the delivery of e-mail messages using a common standard e-mail GUI on a mobile device which does not vary depending on whether a particular data communication service (e.g. a packet data service such as GPRS) is available.